Here we are, January 1, 2014. I have spent my day watching three football matches on NBCSN, cleaning up a little after last night’s small New Year’s Eve get-together and dragging the hulking carcass of the long dead and cheerless Christmas tree to the curb. Now it’s time to put a big dent into the leftover beer and take a look at what’s coming up for me in the next couple weeks.
I am not in the best shape of my life by any means, but I am doing OK-ish for a 42 year-old dimwit. OK-ish enough to race? Um, no. But, that is not stopping me from doing two races in the next two weeks! Yep, mountain bike racing in January…. in Michigan… in the snow… on a fat bike.
Any number of the four people who read this blog are surely mumbling “this douche bag doesn’t even own a fat bike, hates riding in cold and I’ve heard him talk shit on fat bikes in the past.” To which I would respond “you’re right, I don’t own a fat bike and I don’t fancy riding in the cold.” BUT (and this is a BIG fucking but)… I NEED to do something on the bike. I’ve been going to the gym, riding the trainer and doing the cross-country ski thing here and there, but it’s JUST… NOT… RIDING A BIKE. Sorry cross-country friends, but it’s just not. I try, I do, I really do. I fail.
So, I put out some feelers to my industry friends (I’m TOTALLY making that up) and procured a shop demo for this weekend’s Fat Chance! 2 hour fat bike race at Crystal Mountain and then a friend’s husband offered to lend me his fat bike for next weekend’s Farmer’s 3 Hour Fat Bike Race. Does this make me feel like a dirt bag? Yep, a dirt bag that wants to get out and ride my bike in the snow but isn’t in the position to buy a fat bike right now (especially after just buying a new bike a few months ago).
I haven’t rode out in the cold for more than an hour and twenty minutes in a long time, and other than a short spin a Surly Pugsley that was two sizes too small, I have NEVER been on a fatty, let alone raced one. Why the hell am I doing this?? A need to satisfy my ride lust, boredom, blog fodder, I’m a complete idiot? Take your pick!
I will never understand why a person would choose to ride a fat bike instead of regular mountain bike on dirt, I “get” wanting to ride one in the snow. I have to admit I am a bit nervous about racing on one (having never rode one) but I am more nervous that I might actually enjoy it. I do NOT need any more bike lust in my life.
I should be able to pick up that shop demo on Friday, so I hope to get out and get in dialed in before I set out to race two hours on it on Sunday *chubby fingers crossed*.
Stay tuned, this is gonna be a snow-covered train wreck.
Photo: Jason Mahokey, xxcmag.com/thesoiledchamois.net